the relationship between cytokine expression, clinical variables and severity of disease.

Estimated Enrollment:

45

Study Start Date:

August 2004

Estimated Study Completion Date:

September 2005

Detailed Description:

Bacterial alveolar invasion is followed by a compartmentalized inflammatory response. Data suggest that some antimicrobials may induce a differential release of cytokines, with the potential of either accelerating or down regulating cytokine production.

The aim of our study was to compare the effects of ceftriaxone compared with levofloxacin on cytokine systemic concentrations in patients with pneumococcal pneumonia.

Eligibility

Ages Eligible for Study:

18 Years and older

Genders Eligible for Study:

Both

Accepts Healthy Volunteers:

No

Criteria

Inclusion Criteria:

patients with an acute febrile respiratory illness accompanied by a new radiographic infiltrate consistent with this diagnosis.

and with a confirmed pneumococcal aetiology

Exclusion Criteria:

age < 18 years,

pneumonia distal to endobronchial obstruction,

pulmonary tuberculosis,

bronchiectasis,

known allergy to B-lactams or fluoroquinolones,

underlying systemic autoimmune disease

immunocompromised states including patients on maintenance oral corticosteroids, HIV infection,

pregnancy,

patients that received antimicrobial therapy in the 15 days preceding the current episode and those who had received fluoroquinolones in the last month, or non steroidal anti-inflammatory therapy in the last two weeks.

Patients with renal failure (serum creatinine > 2 mg / dL),

and patients with a documented pneumococcal pneumonia in the previous 4 weeks

Contacts and Locations

Choosing to participate in a study is an important personal decision. Talk with your doctor and family members or friends about deciding to join a study.
To learn more about this study, you or your doctor may contact the study research staff using the Contacts provided below.
For general information, see Learn About Clinical Studies.

Please refer to this study by its ClinicalTrials.gov identifier: NCT00429975